It Started Like This
by Every-Beet-of-My-Heart
Summary: "I'm the sheriff- I do justice and carry out the law! Not this, whatever this is." She gestured at the air between the two of them. "It isn't a crime to fall in love, Cait." "Isn't it, though?" A sweet kiss, and then a moment of silence. "We're friends first, Cait. We always were and always will be."


**Author's Note- **I started liking this pairing a while back, after seeing a picture of genderbent Ezreal and Caitlyn. There's honestly nothing here for the two of them, so I have to write one of my own. It's not genderbent, of course, I think I'll have to wait and see how this one is received before even bothering to think about writing one of those. Seeing as I can barely write a VeigarxLulu, this was twice as difficult, but even so, I hope it meets your standards. Let me know what you think!

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The Sheriff of Piltover was having a less-than-spectacular day. She had, to her embarrassment, actually _tripped_. Not only that, but her bout of clumsiness allowed Vi to chase after Jinx in all her reckless glory. Even the thought of the amount of destruction the two would cause unattended was enough to make Caitlyn dizzy.

"Damn it," Caitlyn cursed, the torn skin of her knees worsening as her injuries pressed deeper into the rough ground. She winced, shifting her weight tentatively before struggling into a sitting position with her knees bent in front of her. She grimaced at the two red splotches of blood where her knees were previously.

"Hey, are you alright? That was a pretty bad fall," someone said from behind the sheriff, and she twisted her torso to see a blond man walking up to her. Her eyes followed him silently until he stood in front of her, smiling slightly.

"I didn't fall," Caitlyn scoffed, folding her arms over her chest and blushing lightly in embarrassment.

The blond tipped his head back and laughed, clearly in a very agreeable mood. His sunny disposition was infectious, and Caitlyn couldn't help laughing along with him, although hers was much more reserved. He calmed down soon enough and focused his attention on Caitlyn once more, a wide grin still plastered on his youthful face.

"Of course you didn't fall," he agreed. "In all seriousness, are you okay? Your knees look really banged up." He bent to examine her wounds closer with a look of intense concentration.

"What a way to flatter a woman," Caitlyn said bitingly, but her voice lacked the acidity a comment normally would have carried. It came off as more playful than offended. She sighed, staring at her bloodied knees. "But yes, I'll be fine; it's just another part of the job. You wouldn't happen to be a doctor, would you? This will be a pain to fix myself."

"I could always blow off your kneecaps," he offered, "but I don't think that's what you're looking for. You said it was part of your job? If you don't mind me asking, what do you do?" The blond straightened up and extended his hand to help her up. Caitlyn reached up to grip it and pulled herself up gracefully, any remnants of a clumsy woman having disappeared. She was only slightly shorter than him, perhaps an inch or two, and had to look up to meet his eyes. They were blue, a few shades lighter than her own, but no more cold.

"I'm Caitlyn, the sheriff of Piltover," she said without letting go of his hand, turning it into a firm handshake. "And you?"

"Ah, the famed woman of justice in the City of Progress! How could I not have recognized you sooner? I'm Ezreal, Piltover's resident archaeologist and explorer." They released each other's hands and Ezreal reached up to fix the goggles resting on his head.

"It's lovely to meet you, Ezreal. Would you mind helping me to a real doctor? One where I can keep my kneecaps intact?" Ezreal chuckled and nodded, moving to stand next to her. He wrapped an arm around Caitlyn's waist, his hand falling naturally to rest above her hips while Caitlyn placed a hand on his shoulder, limping forward.

"Does it really hurt that badly?" Ezreal asked in concern. Caitlyn looked at him, smiling ruefully.

"Only when there's rocks and dust in my injuries. So yes, it hurts a fair amount." She laughed, her stature a hint more relaxed.

Ezreal's arm tightened around her waist. "Gravity just doesn't give you a break, does it?"

"No," she breathed, her blue eyes locking with his, only a few inches from hers, "it doesn't."

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**Author's Note- **First chapter: done! I hope you liked it, and reviews are (as always) welcome. If you don't support this ship but read it anyway, think I could maybe change your mind?


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